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Posted in: AMC, Fear The Walking Dead, Review, TV | Tagged: amc, Episode 2, fear the walking dead, fear twd, FTWD, Review, season 8
Fear the Walking Dead S08E02 Biggest TWDU Heartbreaker Yet: Review
Fear the Walking Dead S08E02 "Blue Jay" was an excellent effort that had the most heartbreakingly tragic scene in the TWD universe.
Heading into last weekend's return of AMC's Fear the Walking Dead for its eighth & final season, we were wondering/ a bit worried about how showrunners/writers Andrew Chambliss & Ian Goldberg would handle an abbreviated season with an opener that needed to set the foundation for where things stand post-time jump. If you checked out our review of "Remember What They Took From You" (directed by Michael E. Satrazemis), then you know that we were pretty damn impressed with how things kicked off. But was the long-running TWD spinoff series able to make it two-for-two? Without a doubt – and while a lot of you might not like this take? From the perspective of shock, horror, brutality, and major stake to the heart of our "feels" factors go, this will stick with me a lot longer than that scene from The Walking Dead S07E01 "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be" (directed by Greg Nicotero and written by Scott M. Gimple).
In S08E02 "Blue Jay" (directed by Heather Cappielo & written by Chambliss & Goldberg), we see the spotlight shift to June (Jenna Elfman), Dwight (Austin Amelio), Sherry (Christine Evangelista), and PADRE's mystery big bad Shrike (Maya Eshet) as we learn more what went down in the past seven years since we last saw our survivors (though Kim Dickens' Madison and Lennie James' Morgan make their presences known this episode, too). From this point forward, we're throwing on the "MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!" sign and throwing down an image spoiler buffer before we do a deep dive into the season's second chapter.
Under the skillful direction of Cappielo and the impactful words of Chambliss & Goldberg (now two-for-two this season), this episode was a masterclass by Elfman, Amelio, and Evangelista – three actors so attuned with their characters that they can effectively present versions of them that we can barely recognize – and yet, those threads of what they once were are still there. Threads that they end up paying for by the end of the episode. We don't need to know the specific details of the choices that they made or the things they've had to do for PADRE to know that they suffered – through collecting children and running horrific radiation experiments for a "greater good," we already have more than we need to know to understand why Morgan, Grace (Karen David), June, Dwight & Sherry are the way they are – and yet? I find myself hating the actions while never once pulling back my heart from any of them. And the change between Amelio and Evangelista atop the train reminded us again why Dwight & Sherry might be the one couple in the TWD universe who best represents/speaks for the viewer.
And anyone who was worried about how Dickens' Madison would be handled on her return would be feeling pretty good right about now. So far, the lone symbol of rebellious hope among our heroes (until next week, maybe?) has been impressing in every scene, turning her oxygen tank from a crutch to a symbol of Madison's strength. I'm not sure anyone else could've delivered that speech to Morgan that Madison did in the back of the PADRE truck because it needed to come from someone who could look both Morgan & James in the eye and convince him (and the viewers) that there's still hope – no matter how horrible it's gotten. Madison & Dickens accomplished that and then some.
And then there are the major props that are owed Eshet for their portrayal of Shrike, a main PADRE big bad – who doesn't see themselves as a big bad. I know that can be said about all of the big bads in the TWD universe – but Eshet instills in Shrike a scary, cult-like belief in PADRE and its plans. This isn't someone who vibes like they're going to be losing their faith anytime soon – and it's clear by the end of the episode that they're willing to do anything and sacrifice anyone for the "big" and "expansive" plans that PADRE has in motion.
But my final point is actually the one that stuck with me after I first screened the episode, and it's even stronger after a second screening. In "Blue Jay," Chambliss & Goldberg brought back thematic scenarios that had us reflecting back upon some of the more famous/infamous moments from the flagship series. The death of Hannah had me thinking back to TWD S02E07 "Pretty Much Dead Already" and the reveal of Sophia's fate. June revealing her jar filled with fingers reminded me of The Governor's (David Morrissey) display of heads in tanks. But my biggest takeaway? Dwight & Sherry being forced to watch Finch be bitten by a walker on Shrike's command – knowing that the death sentence for Finch will be worse because he's going to be used for another round of radiation that will only prolong the inevitable in a horrifically painful matter – was worse than watching Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) and Glenn (Steven Yeun) get murdered by Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan).
I know there are folks that are going to lose it over that – and I get it. Putting aside the fact that we knew something was coming based on the comics, what ended up happening with the business end of Lucille could be seen as inevitable. Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and the gang had gotten a little too comfortable with using their "cult of personality" to get their way. It was inevitable that they would have to face off against what they could've potentially become. And as both Negan, Michonne (Danai Gurira, in a hallucination scene), and others had alluded to, it wasn't like Rick and the gang weren't on a "kill first, ask questions later" mission themselves. And then there's the matter of whether or not Daryl (Norman Reedus) was responsible for Glenn's death for going at Negan (he was – because Negan saw a family man in Glenn who could be swayed with promises of family security). Yes, losing Abraham and Glenn was a devastating punch to the feels – but that, in large part, had to do with how we connected with them on a personal level.
But the death of Finch was shocking because we didn't see it coming. And even as it was happening, we expected something would interrupt it. But we didn't get that. We were forced to listen -and then watch – Dwight & Sherry as they see their future die before their very eyes. And it's not even just a walker death. It will be a death that comes after days of torturous radiation treatments that even June admits are worse than the bite itself. And just like Dwight & Sherry were forced to watch, so were we – and it's going to stay with us. If Chambliss & Goldberg were looking to drive home the point the PADRE is a bigger danger than we think, this episode did that very thing – and more.
Fear the Walking Dead Season 8 Episode 2 "Blue Jay"
9/10
Heading into last weekend's return of AMC's Fear the Walking Dead for its eighth & final season, we were wondering/ a bit worried about how showrunners/writers Andrew Chambliss & Ian Goldberg would handle an abbreviated season with an opener that needed to set the foundation for where things stand post-time jump. If you checked out our review of "Remember What They Took From You" (directed by Michael E. Satrazemis), then you know that we were pretty damn impressed with how things kicked off. But was the long-running TWD spinoff series able to make it two-for-two? Without a doubt - and while a lot of you might not like this take? From the perspective of shock, horror, brutality, and major stake to the heart of our "feels" factors go, this will stick with me a lot longer than that scene from The Walking Dead S07E01 "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be" (directed by Greg Nicotero and written by Scott M. Gimple). In S08E02 "Blue Jay" (directed by Heather Cappielo & written by Chambliss & Goldberg), we see the spotlight shift to June (Jenna Elfman), Dwight (Austin Amelio), Sherry (Christine Evangelista), and PADRE's mystery big bad Shrike (Maya Eshet) as we learn more what went down in the past seven years since we last saw our survivors (though Kim Dickens' Madison and Lennie James' Morgan make their presences known this episode, too).
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